CLARKSON RALLIES TO TOP SAINTS IN OVERTIME, 5-4

Oct. 20: A night which got off to a great start for St. Lawrence University’s hockey team ended in disappointment as Clarkson rallied from a three-goal deficit for a 5-4 win in overtime in the 2007 ECAC Hockey league opener at Cheel Arena.

 

The Saints, who led 3-0 after one period and 3-1 after two saw Clarkson roar back with three straight goals in the third period to take a 4-3 lead. SLU, which had missed some great opportunities to increase its lead earlier in the third period, tied it again with a goal by Charlie Giffin with goalie Alex Petizian pulled for an extra attacker and less than a minute to play, but the Knights cashed in on a power play in overtime for the win. SLU falls to 2-2 overall and 0-1 in the ECAC, while Clarkson is now 3-1, 1-0.

 

"We did an awful lot well, but had some breakdowns at key times too, and a team with the talent of Clarkson is going to cash in on those kinds of chances," said Saint coach Joe Marsh. "We are all certainly disappointed with a loss, but I think the guys know they can compete with anyone. It was another very good hockey game and I am pleased with our effort and poise in some tough situations. "

 

The Saints, 2007 ECAC Cleary Cup Champions as regular season champion, and the Knights, 2007 Whitelaw Cup Champions after their tournament win, opened ECAC play against each other for just the fourth time in history, but the third in the current decade. The Saints went into Saturday’s game with a 22-22-1 record in league openers in the 45 previous seasons of ECAC competition.

 

The Saints were outshot 6-0 by Clarkson in the first seven minutes of the game, but scored on their second shot on goal of the game as Kevin DeVergilio came through with a great individual effort to score his first goal of the season. Brock McBride fed DeVergilio the puck and the Saint junior made a great play to control it as it bounced off the boards. He then skated through a hook with a delayed penalty being indicated on the Knights and wristed a shot past David Leggio and inside the far post at 7:54. Jared Ross also assisted on the first goal of the game.

 

The Saints took a 2-0 lead, scoring their first power play goal in a dozen chances when Matt Generous charged in from the point and tapped the rebound of a shot by Casey Parenteau off Leggio’s pad and into the net at 12:58.

A great defensive play by Shawn Fensel turned into a 3-0 Saint lead in the final minute of the first period. Fensel blocked a Clarkson shot at the top of the faceoff circle and then chipped the puck off the side boards. It was picked up by Alex Curran, who broke in with a step on a Clarkson defenseman and buried his first of the season at 19:14.4.

 

The Saints had chances to add to their lead in the second period, but Leggio came up with some big saves. The Knights finally got on the board with five minutes to play in the period as rookie defenseman Tom Pizzo took a deep rebound off a wraparound try by David Cayer and shot the puck from the top of the circle just inside the far post as the shot just eluded Petizian’s glove.

 

The Saints killed off 21 seconds of five-on-three to start the third period and had most of the second penalty killed off when freshman Tim Marks scored on a broken play in front of Petizian. The Saint defense broke up a pass, but the puck hopped right onto the stick of Marks at 1:46 who put it past a helpless Alex Petizian for the first power play goal scored against the Saints in 16 tries this season.

 

The Knights completed their comeback at 13:13 of the third period off a Saint turnover deep in their own defensive zone. Petizian made a great save on Steve Zalewski as Zalewski walked in alone, but couldn’t cover the rebound and Zalewski put it away to tie the game.

 

Clarkson took advantage of another loose puck in front of Petizian just over a minute later and took the 4-3 lead when Lauri Tuohimaa scored his first collegiate goal in a scramble. Dan Tuttle and Chris D’Alvise assisted on the go-ahead goal at 14:41.

 

The Saints battled back and tied it with Petizian out of the net for an extra attacker and 37.8 seconds left on the clock. Jared Ross worked the puck across the top of the offensive zone to Zach Miskovic who snapped a shot toward net which was tipped past Leggio by Charlie Giffin, who scored his third of the year.

 

Clarkson immediately pressured following the Saint goal, but Petizian came up with a save on Dodge and the two teams headed into overtime.

 

Clarkson was awarded a power play just 35 seconds into the extra period and cashed in for the win when D’Alvise roofed a shot just under the crossbar from right in front at 1:26 to give the Knights the win.

 

Petizian finished with 24 saves for the Saints while Leggio, who was huge in the second period, finished with 22 for the Golden Knights.